Clamping a workpiece may be necessary to hold the workpiece so that additional work may be done on the item or in some cases the process of clamping the workpiece may be the end process. Such may be the case with a piece of sheet metal or similar item that has become dented or otherwise deformed. Applying a steady and substantially high compressive force to the item may remove the dent of deformity. The use of dies may be used to concentrate the clamping force in specific areas. This process may be used to remove dents and body damage in automobiles.
Automobiles and other vehicle bodies are typically constructed of sheet metal or other pliable materials. In some cases the body of a vehicle is as important to the owner of the vehicle as is the engine and drive train, which makes the vehicle function to move from place to place. The precise cleans lines of a vehicle body may signify beauty and stature but also a well kept automobile may make a positive statement about the driver to all that pass by. Ironically, the body of a vehicle may be exposed to countless hazards on a regular basis. These may come in the form of rocks and other road debris thrown up from other vehicles on the road, weather related objects such as hail and inconsiderate or inattentive other drivers and pedestrians, such as a door ding in a parking lot. The physical beauty of the movable sculpture called an automobile may be soiled by a single dent in the otherwise pristine surface of the auto body.
An industry referred to as paintless dent removal was created from the need to remove dents and dings from automobile bodies without the need to repaint the vehicle. The durability of the paint on an automobile body may allow from some deformation and return of the underlying material to its original shape without the need to repaint the vehicle. In many cases this may provide a cost effective alternative to the filler, sanding and repainting process to repair a blemish of a vehicle body.
It should, therefore, be appreciated that there is a need for clamping tools that allow for repair of damage to pliable materials including a vehicle body. The present invention fulfills this need and others.